Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-07-20
The Morkrille Guqnirer.
s. C. -
WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1887.
THE CITIZENS MEETING.

ID1NAAODAA WILL Ivy awe
THE CITIZENS MEETING.
In the citizens meeting, held in the
Court House on the 4th instant, it was I'M
derstood, we think, by all present, that it's
object was: First, to correct the opinion
understood to prevail in many, parts of the
county that the petition for substituting
county bonds for the township bonds SUBJ
scribed in York in aid of the Charleston,
Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad, original
ed in Yorkville. It was said to be the
common report in the county that the idea
originated in Yorkville for the purpose of
relieving her citizens of a portion OF the
taxation incurred by SIS, 900 subscription,
and those who believed the story were
naturally indignant that the taxpayers of
Yorkville should attempt such a scheme.
The matter being an entire mistake, so far
as Yorkville was concerned, and the repu-
tation of the citizens likely to suffer there
by, it was proposed to hold a meeting and
pass resolutions 'setting themselves prop
erly on the question )" and secondly to dis
courage the circulation of the petition.
The resolutions, as they appeared in the
published proceedings, do not, however,
properly convey the intentofthat meeting,
nor do they properly represent what was
thoughtto have been accomplished. There
were originally three resolutions written,
but the second was stricken out before be-
ing submitted to the meeting, and the
words in the third, ':Jor the reasons above
cited," referring entirely to the subject
matter of the second resolution as original
ly prepared, not being stricken out, as the
mover intended, as they appeared in print
the phraseology is liable to the interpreta-
ton given by Col. johnson and some 9TH
ers, that the scheme was opposed in York
Vile simply because it did not originate
with Yorkville people. That the resolu-
tions may be properly understood, even at
this late day, and when the petition giving
rise to them has been withdrawn, we re-
produce them as the mover intended they
should appear:
Whereas, q petition is now circulating in
York county for signatures, praying the Coun-
ty Commissioners to order an election on the
question of converting the different township
subscriptions in aid of the Charleston, Gin
cinnati and Chicago Railroad into one general
county subscription, and for other purposes
therein named;
And whereas, the opinion prevails in many
parts of the county that the said petition and
the scheme it proposes originated with citizens
of Yorkville, and as such opinion is entirely
erroneous and without foundation in fact, in
order that we may set ourselves properly on
this question before the people Of the county,
be it resolved,
l. That so far from originating the said Pc
tition or sympathising with its objects as they
appear on its face, we here, in public meeting,
deny all knowledge Of the existence of the said
scheme until the appearance OF the said petit
ton on the streets Of the town last Friday, the
LIST instant.
2. That We hereby discourage all persons
from signing the said petition. and, further,
that as to the proposed construction through the
county Of the Georgia and Carolina Midland
Railroad, as one condition upon which the
township subscriptions should be converted
into a county subscription, the amount of these
subscriptions increased from $2l7 900 to a conn
ty subscription of $500, COO, is vague, indefinite,
and undetinable, contrary to all business meth
DDS, calculated to mislead and deceive, giving
tangible promise of any return for the
amount subscribed. and therefore unworthy
of the support and countenance of the tax
payers.
Had the resolutions appeared as they
are above, and as we are informed and
believe they were intended, Col. Johnson's
letter published last week withdrawing
the petition from circulation would prob
ably have been clothed in different words
and our people spared his caustic remarks.
His letter, however, was based upon con
illusions which he formed by reading the
resolutions as they were printed, and
hence it is not liable to that criticism
which otherwise it would deserve.
Although the petition is now with
drawn, and perhaps a further discussion
of the subject is at this time needless, yet
we can assure Col. johnson that Yorkville
is antagonistic to neither of the routes
proposed in the petition, and that the OPP
position of our citizens to the method
adopted for converting the bonds of the
townships into county bonds should not
be construed as opposition to the Augusta
division, regardless of the route it might
have taken. But in this action they have
been guided by the principle that the
movement for a county subscription should
receive the endorsement of the unaffected
townships, before being voted Affirmative
ly by those that have already subscribed.
FAIR PLAY" OR FAIR PAY?
In the excitement of a week ago, occa-
stoned by the county subscription petition,
a writer over the signature of Fair Play"
whose genius we think is encouraged by
the bounty of the Massachusetts and South
ern Construction Company, rushes into
print to tell US what he doesn't know about
the subscription of York county in aid of
the Chester and Lenoir Railroad, contrast
ing that proceeding and the action of the
Yorkville people with the more recent
events connected with the township sub
scriptions in aid of the Charleston, Cincin-
natl and Chicago Railroad. Aside from
the inaccuracies of statement by the writ
er, the cases he cites are not analogous.
He attempts to make capital of the fact
that Zone white man and two negroes"
made a county subscription in aid of the
Chester and Lenoir Railroad, in which &C.
ton the ENQUIRER and the people of
Yorkville found little to condemn.
AS a desirable line, advantageous to a
large section of the county, the Chester
and Lenoir Railroad was projected and
constructed under a charter granted by the
Legislature to our Owl citizens. 1t ex-
tends through York and a part of Chester
county. Under the provisions of the char